Adventure
"Adventure" is a broad term, which includes various occupations which might be called... unconventional. In fact, many would not call adventuring an occupation at all, but more of a lifestyle... especially the type of adventuring which is most commonly associated with the term. The following is a partial list of jobs (or lifestyles) which fall under the heading of "adventure": Adventurer Adventurers are also sometimes called wanderers or wayfarers, though these latter terms don't necessarily imply all that is meant by the term "adventurer" (though they may). While many "wanderers" might also be seen as Rats of one type or another, given that they rarely have much money (unless wandering is a lifestyle they've chosen in spite of coming from a wealthy clan), true adventurers do tend to derive a living one way or another in the course of their travels. To truly be called an adventurer, one must at least occasionally engage in activities which would be considered thrilling or even dangerous, the sort of things stories are told about. (In fact, one way many adventurers have of supplementing their income is by writing or telling stories of their adventures, though usually there is a fair amount of embellishment upon the actual events.) But adventuring itself can provide income directly, whether by finding lost treasures, claiming money from defeated enemies, being paid for services such as protection, etc. Adventuring occupies a grey area in terms of respectability and legality. It is well known that many adventurers end up seriously hurting or even killing people in the course of their escapades, and there are laws in place to determine whether these actions are justified, on a case by case basis. Adventurers are required to report to the police any such incidents, detailing exactly how they transpired. Bandit Bandits are also sometimes called highwaymen. There is some debate about whether to even include this under the heading of "adventure," as many believe it would be more appropriate to simply call bandits common criminals. However, there is a certain degree of romanticism inherent in banditry, especially when it happens outside a village (whether on roads or in forests, etc.) Within villages, it is rare to refer to a thief as a bandit, but merely a thief. However, many bandits are also proficient in pick-pocketing, which itself has a lower kind of romanticism about it. Unlike adventurers, and in spite of the romanticism of banditry, there is no question that it is illegal, under any circumstances. Still, many bandits refer to themselves as adventurers, and true adventurers do not always dispute this claim, feeling that the existence of bandits provides enemies they may feel justified in fighting; without them, there would be less interesting encounters involved in legitimate adventuring. It is also the fact that bandits may strike first that often provides legal grounds for adventurers to get away with killing in self-defense. Additionally it should be noted that ordinary travelers may not even bother reporting having been robbed by bandits, preferring to simply tell the story to friends. Explorer Explorers may also be called wanderers, and when traveling in uncharted territory, there is always the possibility of encountering some manner of adventure. Exploration is one of the most legitimate forms of adventuring, as it leads to greater knowledge of our world. Most explorers are also mapmakers, as well as documentarians of a sort. There are those who set out as members of an official expedition, which sometimes leads to the settling of a new village. Other expeditions may be to locate resources of various natures, and may be funded by businesses. Such explorations can often prove highly profitable. However, there are also independent explorers who roam through previously unexplored territory with little or no expectation of profit, but do it out of a sheer sense of curiosity. Such explorers often have few provisions, and have no choice but to "live off the land," spending much of their time hunting, gathering, trapping, and/or fishing just to provide themselves with food from day to day. Pirate This is surely the most highly illegal form of adventuring, but perhaps also the most highly romanticized. Pirates will plunder and kill, often with little regard for their victims (though some are said to scrupulously avoid killing whenever possible). In spite of the fact that pirates are undeniably criminals, it is not believed that anyone questions the inclusion of pirates on the list of adventuring occupations. Sailor This is a broad term which can apply to pirates as well as members of the Navy or Coast Guard. While being in the armed services might be considered adventurous, naval sailors are not technically considered adventurers. Pirates, of course, are; but so are sea-going traders. Traders, whether their routes are by sea, land, air, or some combination, are technically considered businesspeople, though there is a tendency to romanticize the occupation to a certain extent, when they travel between villages (something which until recently was done by relatively few people, and even now is not as common as spending one's entire life in their home village). Certainly, traders traveling on land risk being attacked by bandits, just as those traveling by sea risk being attacked by pirates. Of course, it must also be noted that even traders who do travel by sea may not necessarily themselves be considered sailors; rather, sailors are the crew of ships which are owned or hired by traders. By the same token, such sailors cannot themselves be considered traders. They might therefore be considered transporters (which is considered a business) or something akin to taxi drivers (which is considered a service). However, it seems more apt to call them adventurers. See also Age of Sail Smuggler This generally refers to anyone who transports contraband goods between villages. They are something like a cross between legitimate traders and the dealers who work for gangs. However, not all smugglers necessarily deal in contraband. The term may also be applied to people who deal in stolen goods, or goods they are not authorized to sell, for whatever reason. They often provide goods to customers via the "black market," which, even if the goods are perfectly legal and there's no reason the smuggler couldn't sell them legitimately, is illegal simply for the fact that the seller does not report the sales, and therefore is not required to pay income taxes. Spy This most frequently refers to a certain type of gangster, which, while potentially romanticized, would not technically qualify as "adventure." However, there have long been spies employed privately by individuals or businesses, for various reasons. There have also been spies employed by the military both during and since the Coming of the Order. And following the founding of the United Villages of the Chaos, that country established its own spy agency, the Secret Service. Any of these different types of spies might be considered to fall under a different heading- gang, business, or politics- but collectively, it is common to consider espionage as a type of adventure. See also *List of jobs Category:Culture